Recently we heard from a young family who asked us if we would be willing to visit with them and help them plan for their future. Emily, the mom, explained that although they are still 2 years away from moving, they'd love to start working on the simple cosmetic projects that will improve their home's value and maximize their return on investment.  

Our answer, of course, was yes. We'd love to help. And as it turns out we had a very productive meeting with Emily and her husband Nick. Now Emily and Nick have a good grasp of their home's current market value, along with a few ideas for how they can improve their home's value over the next couple of years. 

The truth is we enjoy helping people plan for their future. It's one of the most rewarding

Single family home listings are entering the market at the slowest pace on record, and are down by 26% through the first 4 months of the year. 

While condo listings are down by 23% through the first four months.

Low listing activity is one of the big reasons why Madison area home and condo prices continue to move higher in 2023, and why we expect prices to continue to rise for the foreseeable future. 

How does the market impact you and your real estate goals? You can always reach out to our realtor team for a helpful conversation. We'd love to help. 

Now that most of the transactions are in the books for the month of April, it's time for a quick look at Madison area home and condo prices. 

Dane County homes

• The median price in April increased to $450,000, up 7% from the year before. 
• The average price increased to $511,806, which was up 10%. 

Dane County condos

• The median price increased to $301,500, up 10% from last April. 
• The average price increased to $338,991, which was up 7%. 

Why do Dane County home and condo prices keep rising? Here are 9 reasons why prices continue to rise and why we expect prices to keep moving higher for the foreseeable future. Of course, we're always available to chat about the market and how the market impacts you and your goals. You know

Here are 5 great reflection questions for any real estate professional: 

1) Who are the real estate professionals who you've grown to admire and respect? And what are the traits that describe them? And what do your answers to these two questions reveal about you? 

2) What are the aspects of your current approach to real estate that "don't feel right" to you and are not a good fit for your unique personality?  

3) If you were to practice real estate in a manner that inspires you and motivates you (in a way that "feels right"), what would that look like? 

4) We can't possibly appeal to everyone, so given this, how would you describe your ideal client in terms of their values and their aspirations? 

5) How does knowing your ideal client inform

In honor of Earth Month, we’re highlighting a nonprofit that is making a big difference each day on a local level for the health of our planet. Sustain Dane’s mission is to inspire, connect, and support people to accelerate equity and sustainable actions for community wellbeing. Sustain Dane was founded in 1999 by a group of Madison residents and received nonprofit status in 2003. Its vision is a thriving and inclusive community with a sustainable environment and economy we are proud to pass on to future generations. 

Among the many programs that the organization offers, the Sustain Dane Summit is not to be missed. Mark your calendars for November 3rd at Monona Terrace for a full day of workshops, speakers, panels, awards, networking, and Dane County

I've had the opportunity to work with, observe, and learn from many different realtors throughout my career, and so the timing feels right for me to acknowledge at least a few of them. By no means is this an exhaustive list. This is just a nice start on a long list of realtors whom I've grown to appreciate and respect.

Here's the list, for starters... 

Chris Venden, who is always kind and who always has good intentions for others. 

Shelley Lazzareschi, who seems to always have a positive attitude and a sincere willingness to help. 

Ann Raschein, who is constantly nurturing positive relationships by helping and serving others. 

Maureen Moran, who is a wonderful listener. 

Tony Tucci, who is exceedingly generous and always rooting for

Recently we met with our longtime client, Jeff, who asked us for our advice on how he could improve his rental property's value with a few cosmetic updates. And we had a very productive visit.

We decided that Jeff's property would shine with some fresh paint, some new light fixtures, new cabinet hardware, new kitchen flooring, and refinished hardwood floors. At the same time, we connected Jeff with a handful of reliable and reasonably-priced contractors. Now Jeff has all the resources he needs to move forward with his work. And needless to say, we're looking forward to visiting Jeff again when his projects are complete!

Do you need guidance on how you can affordably update your own home, and at the same time significantly increase its market

Is there a senior in your life who needs help staying in their current home or assistance moving to a new one? If so, we have 4 excellent resources that we'd like to share with you. 

SAIL (608-230-4321)

Sharing Active Independent Lives (SAIL) is a local non-profit that is dedicated to helping seniors live independently in their own home. One of our friends who is now 102 years old has been a SAIL member for 18 years, and because of SAIL, she continues to thrive in the home she loves while staying connected to the larger community. 

Homestead Care Group (608-577-6993)

Homestead Care Group is another local resource that's dedicated to helping seniors stay in their own home. Homestead served one of our clients for ten years -- offering personal

Here's our latest unbiased view of the Dane County condominium market, updated for the month of March, 2023. 

Competing offers

The competition for condos in early 2023 is at an all-time high. Based on our preliminary data for the month of February, 49% of all contract signings involved multiple offers. This is a very high percentage for this time of year, and a clear sign that prices will be strong in the months ahead. There is still plenty of pent-up demand for condos in Dane County.  

New condo listings

Madison area condos continue to enter the market at a slow pace. March condo listings decreased 28% year-over-year and were lower by 24% year-to-date.

Condo inventory

Condo supply is running at an all-time low, with only .6

Is it time for a new look inside your home? Here are 3 local designers that we know, trust, and love!

Space at our 1619 Monroe Street office designed by Kristi Bertelson of the Inspired Design Team

Laura Groenier, Silver Leaf Interiors

• (608)-242-0707

Kristi Bertelson, Inspired Design Team

•  (608)-571-7230

Wendy Broadhead, Color Consultant

•  (608)-235-8623 

Do you need help with any other type of project around your home? Please reach out to our realtor team for a referral to a trusted contractor. It would be our pleasure to assist you!